The Stormcloaks' Best Thief
by Emily Dovahkiin
Summary: A retired Stormcloak has been called upon to protect her king. Strange orders have made their way to her hands and she must leave her comfy life in the Thieves' Guild to ensure Skyrim stays independent. While she saves her kingdom, Brynjolf will wait for his beloved to return home. I do not own Skyrim or any other part of this series.
1. Beginnings

"You'll know her when you see her," assured Fasendil as he pressed the slip of paper containing the orders, along with a few coins, into a young courier's hand.

He scrambled out of the house to carry out his duty. He wondered what could be so important that he had to run out at night to find some random thief in town.

The courier looked around to make sure that nobody was around and then decided to take a peek at the slip of paper.

"We know you are here, Dragonborn. Your presence in Solitude would be appreciated. I can collect you, or you can come willingly. You have three days to decide"

"Huh," grunted the courier as he folded it up and stuffed it back into his little purse. He made his way into the town center and waited, unsure of where to begin to look for the Dragonborn.

Soon, someone came stumbling out of one of the inns, obviously drunk. The person came through the town center, singing some drinking song the courier did not recognize.

The drunken person danced a bit close to a brazier, giving the courier a glimpse under her hood.

He looked a bit closer at the woman and he realized her markings were similar to what Fasendil described earlier.

Two Stormcloak soldiers approached the woman, warning her to quiet down and go home.

She argued, "Listen you shits, I'm a free woman. Don't harass me."

One retorted, "We're here to keep the peace Ulfric fought so hard to obtain. Show your gratitude by shutting up and going home."

She pulled out an axe and snapped, "Oh yeah? I fought alongside Ulfric and killed Tullius when he asked. You answer to me!"

One of the soldiers pulled the axe from her grasp and gasped.

"Would you look at that, Hylder? Don't that look like an ancient Nord battle axe?" asked one of the soldiers.

The other inspected the axe and confirmed, "Yeah 'tis, Balfgar. Got the blade and all its markings. A beauty like this can't be cheaply copied."

Balfgar continued, "I remember stories from when I was a lad about the draugur who would use these to protect the crypts. Only the bravest souls would go down there to fight those nasty creatures."

Hylder nodded, "Aye, and I only know one person alive who wields this weapon, and I've seen many an axe in my days. An axe like this was used to kill Tullius at the end of the Rebellion."

Balfgar asked tentatively, "Didn't it belong to Storm-Blade?"

Storm-Blade removed her hood and smiled, "The one and only, brother!"

Hylder looked at her closely and smiled. It was indeed the one and only Storm-Blade.

He asked, "Storm-Blade, what are you doing in Riften?"

She pulled up her hood and responded, "I'm a woman with a mission, brother! Dragonborn duty called!" and she took off into the night.

The courier took off running after her. The Stormcloaks were not as warm with him as they just were with their sister.

"Why are you chasing our sister?" asked Hylder.

The courier pulled out the paper and stated, "I have orders for her."

Hylder read the note, and asked the courier, "Who sent you, boy?"

He responded, "Fasendil."

Hylder asked, "Yeah? And what would Fasendil want with Ulfric's right hand woman?"

The courier puffed out his chest and answered, "It is in Tamriel's best interest and Skyrim's that you quit asking me questions and let me through."

Hylder nodded at Balfgar and Balfgar promptly grabbed the courier.

Hylder got in the courier's face and growled, "Skyrim belongs to the Stormcloaks, and you better answer my questions."

The courier snarled, "This filthy country will be reinstated into the realm soon enough. It is best that you let it happen."

Hylder sliced his throat open, and pocketed the note.

Hylder told his Balfgar, "Something is going on here that I don't like. Ulfric still has enemies in Skyrim and they're targeting Storm-Blade."

Balfgar pointed in the direction she ran off and added, "She went that way. We'll bring her the note."

They ran off into the night, searching alleys for their sister.

They found her in the graveyard, seeming to go underground. They sprinted to the grave where she was at, discovering a flight of steps, and then a door at the bottom.

Inside was a group of rough looking men and women, all of whom drew their swords.

A blonde woman grabbed someone at the bar and slapped them.

She scolded, "Eimile, you IDIOT! You left the door open and now the damn Stormcloaks discovered the hideout."

Eimile looked up and explained, "Oh no Vex, I'm one of their officers. They'll listen to me."

Vex shrieked, "You're ONE OF THEM? BRYNJOLF, YOU LET THIS SNAKE INTO OUR GUILD?"  
Eimile defended herself, arguing, "I'm Ulfric's right hand woman. If I give an order, these fools have to listen."

She turned to her men and barked, "Boys, you will not say one thing about this place. I don't care if your captain gave you orders to find and destroy the Thieves Guild, I order you to keep your mouths shut. Is that clear?"

The soldiers nodded.

She replied, "Good, now get out of here."

Hylder begged, "Storm-Blade, we have urgent business to discuss!"

Eimile answered, "First I have to control my friends down here. Every second you two are in here upsets them more. Get out and I will deal with you in a moment."

After the two soldiers left the Ragged Flagon, all eyes went on their guildmaster.

Brynjolf asked, "Why didn't you tell us before, lass?"

Eimile answered, "I didn't feel that it would come up."

Vex accused, "You think that having special favors with the king will make everyone like you. Well, I hate you as much as I hated Mercer."

Eimile snorted, "You really are living up to your name, bitch."

Vex frowned and stormed off to her quarters.

Eimile made her way to the exit. She had business with her brothers.

"Now what was worth risking my friends' lives and identities?" demanded Eimile as she came out of the exit.

Hylder handed her a slip of paper and she read its contents.

He explained, "The courier we took it from was sent by Fasendil. That means that Ulfric still has enemies here in Skyrim."

Eimile asked, "What would he want with me?"

Both soldiers shook their heads.

Eimile decided, "I have to tell Ulfric. Keep the city safe and do not tell the other Stormcloaks here about the existence of this place or else."

She turned and ran down the stairs, covering them up as she made her way to the Guildmaster's chambers.

She took off her Thieves Guild apparel, locking it in a trunk under her bed. She donned her old Stormcloak Officer uniform, sighing at her reflection.

Brynjolf stood in the doorway to her chamber and caught her eye as he stood behind her in the mirror. The image reflected back at him made him sad.

"Tell me what you think you're doing," demanded Brynjolf.

Eimile explained, "Ulfric is in trouble and I have to help him."

Brynjolf responded, "You're shirking your duties to the guild."

Eimile replied, "I am not. I swore an oath a long time ago to protect our king."

Brynjolf argued, "You swore an oath to do all you could to serve and protect the guild when we crowned you guildmaster, and now you're leaving for some mission that doesn't affect you at all."

Eimile showed him the note and snapped, "This man sent me a note ordering me to Solitude when all of the imperials are still holed up there. They're trying to get to Ulfric by taking me out first."

Brynjolf yelled, "You would have the guild at your back if someone tried to take you! You can't leave the guild behind!"

Eimile looked in his eyes and asked, "This isn't about the guild, is it?"

He walked over to her and held her hands in his, saying, "Last time you went off on a huge mission to help someone, I was scared you wouldn't come back. The guild can't lose you. I can't lose you."

He kissed her hands slowly yet tenderly and looked her in the eyes. The Nord's eyes pleaded with her in a way words could not.

Eimile assured in a whisper, "Brynjolf, I always come back. You know that."

Brynjolf pleaded, his voice cracking, "Let me come with you, lass."

Eimile shook her head, answering, "I need you here to care for the guild. I trust you more than anyone in the guild. I will come back from this mission alive and drunk, like I always do."

Brynjolf laughed, and then he kissed her forehead.

He smiled, "We'll then complete a mission of our own when you return, lass."

She looked up at him in confusion.

He answered her unspoken question by revealing the Amulet of Mara and saying, "You're my best lass, and I want to be by your side for life; not just as members of the Thieves Guild or fellow Nightingales, but as something more."

He pulled out a gold emerald necklace and put it on her.

"Whose hold did you loot for this one?" asked Eimile jokingly.

He explained, "I stole a good amount of gold today and I thought that necklace would look pretty on a certain guildmaster when I saw it in the market."

She asked in shock, "The best thief in Skyrim BOUGHT something?"

He winked, "Gotta keep 'em guessing, lass."

She looked him in the eye and answered, "Just for that, I will marry you. I will keep this on forever as a symbol of my promise to you."

He kissed the top of her head and helped her pack her belongings.

She smiled, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," when it was time for her to go.

He responded, "That doesn't leave me with much. Come back to me quickly, lass."

Eimile nodded and ran off into the night. She was met with her men as she made her way to the exit to the city. They were waiting with a horse for her to ride.

"Talos be with you," said Balfgar as he opened the gates. Eimile put her heels to the horse and galloped off into the night.

After riding all night, she arrived at Windhelm, throwing some gold at a stable hand to take care of her horse.

She straightened up, and marched into the Palace of the Kings.

"Welcome, Storm-Blade!" exclaimed Ulfric as she approached him.

She knelt before him, replying, "You're looking well, my King."

Ulfric said, "You don't need to bow down, you are a friend. Now tell me, what brings you here?"

Eimile handed him the note and responded, "I have come here from Riften to bring your awareness to orders given to me."

Ulfric read the note and raised an eyebrow.

He asked, "Where did you get these orders?"

She answered, "Fasendil sent a courier to track me down, but two of our men intercepted him and brought it to me."

Ulfric exclaimed, "Fasendil?!"

He thought for a moment and looked at Eimile.

He commanded, "Follow these orders. See what they want, but report back to me. I will send 10 of my best men ahead of you to make sure your journey is safe. You are not going as a soldier from these orders and I want to make sure my second-in-command will not be harmed."

She nodded, and made her way to the stables to collect the mare that she received in Riften. She fed the horse one last bucket of oats, brushed its coat, and put her saddle on its back.

She rode out of the stables and out of town, the open roads of Skyrim greeting her once again. She fiddled with Brynjolf's necklace, silently vowing to return to her intended.


	2. A Look in the Past

Eimile traveled down a lonely road with nothing but the grey sky, and expansive fields around her. Though the world around her was gloomy, it reminded her of the wilds of Wrothgar.

As much as Eimile loved Skyrim, she longed to go home to Jehanna. She wondered if her father still had the beautiful boat on the docks.

She then thought back to why she was here in the first place. She had decided all those years ago to seek her own fortune after a fight with her mother.

She was part of one of Jehanna's most elite families, the younger of a set of twins. Her twin brother would receive their father's wealth whenever he died, and she would marry whoever her father decided she would marry.

The trouble with that was that Eimile was never very lady-like, and none of the other young heirs of Jehanna wanted anything to do with her. No fancy parties or offers of gold could sway anyone to marry Eimile.

One day, someone finally listened and the governor visited Eimile's home with his youngest son. Eimile's father readily made the match without asking Eimile.

Eimile vehemently refused to marry someone she did not like. She tried to sabotage the match in a manner of ways, all ending up in failure.

One such attempt started a fight between her and her mother. The governor's son came to train swords with her brother to better earn her favor.

It turned out that it was not her brother in the armor after training. It was her. Her mother grabbed her by the hair and brought her inside.

"You are shaming this family with your inexcusable behavior!" shrieked her mother.

Eimile snapped, "I don't care. I will keep this up until you promise not to marry me to that man."

Her mother snarled, "You can break off this engagement or be recognized as my daughter."

Eimile shrugged, "Easy choice."

That night, she put on her armor from earlier, and rode off.

After weeks of being lost, a man called Correlc told her to follow him as he was on his way to Skyrim.

They robbed one house near the border to Skyrim and killed the family there. They celebrated their victory as the corpses lay on the floor in pools of blood.

They looked through the house for any gold or items they missed when they happened upon the bedroom.

Correlc asked, "Want to celebrate a little more?"

Eimile shook her head and answered, "No. I'm drunk, and I think of you as a friend and mentor more than anything else."

Correlc replied, "No hard feelings. I'm going into town for a drink."

Eimile nodded and went to bed.

She awoke to the sounds of shouting men. She stood to fight them, but one man knocked her out with the handle of his sword and took her away in irons. Correlc had betrayed her to the Imperials.

When she came to, she was among other men in irons, including Ulfric Stormcloak, whom she had heard her parents talking about at one point in the past.

When she arrived in Helgen, she was not on the list to be executed, but was sentenced to death like everyone else.

That same day, a dragon devastated Helgen, allowing her to escape.

With some guidance from a kind man called Hadvar, she was able to go off on her own to do as she pleased in Skyrim.

She made her way to Whiterun after following Hadvar to Riverwood to collect supplies.

There, she had to report to the Jarl about the dragon she had seen in Helgen, and she had helped his wizard get the Dragonstone to help look for more dragons.

In the process, she learned a word of power, which she did not pay any mind to until her first real battle with a dragon.

After it had died, a white light circled her, and many people bowed to her, calling her the Dragonborn.

This realization meant she had to go to High Hrothgar to learn more about her abilities.

After learning more shouts and passing tests thrown at her by the Greybeards, she had to retrieve the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller.

On her way to find it, she picked up a battle axe from a draugur she had killed. She swung it a few times and decided that no other weapon would be as good as the axe and took it with her.

She soon discovered that this horn was apparently stolen by someone called Delphine, which meant extra travel as she had to go to Riverwood, then back to High Hrothgar to return the horn.

After that whole nightmare, Eimile decided to go off on her own. She passed through a town, and a guard there suggested that she go to Windhelm to join the Stormcloaks.

She heeded his advice, and soon enough Galmar Stone-Fist gave her the first orders, which were to kill an ice wraith.

She laughed, "A few smacks with my axe will do," and marched off to the Serpent Stone.

Soon enough, she had returned victorious and was initiated into the Stormcloaks. She was immediately sent off to a hold to take it back from the imperials.

As she continued in battles, she earned much respect and gold from Ulfric, earning the name Storm-Blade when they took on Solitude.

As Eimile, Ulfric, and Galmar marched in to meet Tullius, Ulfric permitted her to kill his enemy, which she did.

After this war ended, she walked away from it all, somehow ending up in Riverwood.

This reunited her with Delphine, who urged her to help her find out why dragons were coming back after killing Sahloknir, another dragon.

This eventually meant that Eimile would have to retrieve Esbern from Riften alone. She was more than glad to be away from Delphine.

When she arrived in town, she caught the eye of a handsome man. He came to her and introduced himself.

He smiled, "Hey there lass, I'm Brynjolf. What brings you here to Riften?"

Eimile answered, "I'm looking for a man named Esbern."

He nodded and said, "I might know him. I'll give you some information if you help me out."

Eimile helped him plant some evidence on someone in the marketplace, and her skills piqued his interest even more.

Brynjolf invited her to join the Thieves Guild, though some were not as welcoming as he was.

One man came up to Eimile after she joined the Guild and said, "Another one of Brynjolf's protégés, eh? Don't look like much to me."

A few others looked down upon her because of Brynjolf's tendency to bring random people into the guild.

She proved her worth again and again, and Mercer the guildmaster took notice. He sent her on missions to find out information on an anonymous enemy the guild had.

This enemy turned out to be an old member called Karliah. She apparently killed the last guildmaster and wanted to kill Mercer as well.

Mercer invited Eimile to track down Karliah with him. They entered a sanctum where Karliah was hiding.

Once inside, Mercer shot Eimile with a poison arrow and stabbed her, promising to give Brynjolf her regards.

Before Eimile blacked out, she discovered that it was Mercer that killed Gallus and he planned to do much worse than what he had already done.

When she awoke, Karliah revealed that she had been caring for her. She gave Eimile more information on what Mercer had done.

"We have to tell Brynjolf about this," said Karliah, as she held her hand out to Eimile. The two made it back to the Ragged Flagon.

Eimile entered with Karliah, but everyone drew their weapons at the women, including Brynjolf.

Eimile quickly explained what was going on. Brynjolf sighed with relief that Eimile and Karliah were innocent.

He embraced Eimile saying, "I couldn't believe my ears when he told us what you apparently did, lass. I'm so glad he was wrong."

Eimile responded, "I'm capable of worse, but I couldn't betray you, after all the kindness you've shown me."

Brynjolf kissed her forehead gently and said, "Don't leave my side again, lass."

They continued on to become nightingales and eventually they killed Mercer together. When they returned from that fight hand in hand, everyone generally accepted that Brynjolf and Eimile were in love.

Eimile then shook her head sadly. She wondered why she agreed to leave that comfortable life for this mission.

She knew she swore an oath to protect her king long ago, but at what cost? She did not want to be away from Brynjolf and her guild, but she knew that Skyrim, which included Riften would not be safe if she did not follow orders.


	3. Dragon

After what seemed like forever, Eimile decided to make a stop in Whiterun. She needed to rest, to have some ale, and to tell Brynjolf that she was safe.

She stopped by Balgruuf's hall to greet her old friend on her way into town.

"Dragonborn! A welcome sight!" exclaimed Balgruuf as he hugged his friend.

The Jarl offered her a place at his great table in the hall, which she gladly accepted when

she saw the selection of mead available to her.

"Now, what brings you to Whiterun?" asked the Jarl.

Eimile handed him her orders and answered, "I was given some strange orders to report to Solitude by Fasendil. I have come here all the way from Riften, and I knew that I would be welcome here."

Perplexed, Balgruuf asked, "Fasendil? I have not heard of that name since the war."

Eimile stated, "I had thought that all of the Imperial Legates had fled Skyrim after Tullius' assassination. If he's still here, then Ulfric still has enemies."

Balgruuf nodded, responding, "Aye. I would keep my guard up in Solitude, especially in that armor. I should probably double my men until this mess is sorted out. When do you leave?"

Eimile answered, "The note only gave me a few days to get there, so I have to leave first thing tomorrow."

The Jarl told her, "Go home and rest. I will send a few men ahead of you to make sure the path is safe."

Eimile stood up and said, "Thank you for your hospitality, Jarl."

He smiled as she left the hall and whispered, "Talos be with her in this time."

Eimile slipped down the silent streets towards her house that she received as a reward from the Jarl some time ago.

She walked inside and Lydia, her housecarl, came running to greet her thane.

"My lady! Good to see you again!" exclaimed Lydia.

"Yeah, yeah, get me some drink!" ordered Eimile.

"At once!" said Lydia as she scurried to the cellar to find a nice bottle of ale and some food for her thane.

Lydia returned smiling with a large barrel of ale and some food. She lit a fire and set to cooking while Eimile wasted no time in drinking her fill of ale.

"What brings you to Whiterun, my thane?" asked Lydia as she kept an eye on the cooking meat.

Eimile sighed, "King Ulfric has sent me on a mission to Solitude to sort out some issue with remaining Imperials in the country."

Lydia nodded, and then asked, "Where have you been since I saw you last?"

Eimile answered, "I've been doing many an odd job for the king and my Guild. Nothing that would interest you. Now, do I keep you here to look after my home or to ask questions?"

Lydia quietly placed a plate of beef and vegetables in front of Eimile, knowing that her thane did not intend to lash out at her.

Eimile then ordered, "Fetch me a courier. I have people waiting on me."

Lydia ran into town to seek out a courier as Eimile pondered what she would say to Brynjolf.

She pulled out some ink, a quill, and parchment and wrote a short message. She then pulled out some coins to make sure it arrived quickly.

Lydia soon returned with a young man in tow. Eimile handed him the note and the gold coins and sent him on his way.

As soon as the courier was out of sight, she decided that after one more tankard of ale, it was time for her to retire to bed.

The courier sprinted through the streets, making his way to the stables to saddle up for the long ride to Riften.

He pulled out his saddle and was in the process of putting it on his horse when two cloaked figures approached him in the dark.

"Where are you off to, boy?" asked one.

The courier replied, "None of your business."

The other cloaked figure grabbed him and held a jeweled dagger to his throat, threatening, "We will make it our business."

The courier panicked, replying, "Alright! I'm off to deliver a message for Thane Eimile."

The cloaked figure dropped him and said, "Ah, then you are not who we seek. Off you go, boy."

The courier put his heels to his horse and rode as fast as he could towards Riften, not wanting to be murdered.

The figures removed their hoods and looked at each other.

"Tusaril, do you know what this means?" asked one of the cloaked Altmer.

Tusaril responded, "I do not, Fasendil."

Fasendil snapped, "You are not thinking. There is only one person in Whiterun called Thane Eimile. She was given that title after helping the Jarl take care of a dragon. Who deals with dragons, you fool?"

Tusaril responded, "Only the Dragonborn, sir."

Fasendil nodded, "Gather the men. We must bring the imperials a gift."

The two Altmer put their hoods back up and ran off into the night.

They arrived at the shack they bought to hold their men for the time being and started barking orders at them to prepare their weapons just in case their precious cargo tried to escape.

All of the Altmer put their armor on and equipped their swords. On Fasendil's command, they marched toward Eimile's house.

Eimile woke to a knock at the door. Lydia made her way downstairs first and received the strangers at the door.

Eimile barked, "Who comes at this awful hour?" as she came trudging down the stairs, hiding a dagger under the blanket she had wrapped around herself.

Fasendil came forth and said, "Dragonborn! You did not respond to my message, and we were getting worried about you."

Eimile responded, "Oh, you must be Fasendil."

Fasendil affirmed, "The one and only Legate to the Altmer Legion."

Eimile snapped, "What makes you think you can just come here at ungodly hours of the night?"

Fasendil answered, "I have come here to tell you that you will be escorted to Solitude from Whiterun. My friends do not wish to be kept waiting."

Eimile rolled her eyes and replied, "We ride at dawn. You and your men may leave now."

Fasendil nodded, "Of course. You will be needing rest for the trip."

After the Altmer left the house, Eimile instructed Lydia to ready her armor as she went back to bed.

"My lady, do you think this is a good idea to listen to these men?" asked Lydia.

Eimile responded, "Not at all, Lydia."

Lydia set to work, sharpening her thane's axe and fixing up her armor as Eimile went back upstairs to get some rest.

The morning came too soon, and the Dragonborn was waiting outside her house for her escort.

"Dragonborn! You are ready and on time!" remarked Fasendil.

Eimile sighed, "Yeah, yeah, let's just get to Solitude."

Fasendil motioned for her to follow him. The two made their way down streets until they were outside the city gates.

Eimile turned towards the stables and said, "Allow me to get my horse and we will be off."

Fasendil shook his head and laughed, "You will not be needing a horse. You will ride in this carriage with me. We cannot risk assassins that might want have orders to kill someone so important."

Eimile rolled her eyes, but followed him into the carriage.

Fasendil handed her a cloak and said, "Put this on. You will not be welcomed into the city if they see your armor."

Eimile sighed, but put the cloak on and they rode off towards Solitude. She ran her thumb across Brynjolf's necklace a few times, as if it were for good fortune.

Eimile asked Fasendil, "Now, will you tell me what the imperials want?"

Fasendil shook his head, "I cannot until I deliver you to them. I do not trust a soul in this world."

Eimile did not respond; instead, she looked out the window of the carriage. She noticed a shadow in the sky, but figured it was a thundercloud.

After hours of silence had passed, Fasendil decided to make conversation with Eimile.

"This trip is safer now that the Dragonborn is with us," laughed Fasendil.

"Yes, I shall be the one protecting you lot if something happens," responded Eimile in a monotone.

"Yes, a dragon could – OH GODS!" screamed Fasendil when the carriage tipped over and broke.

Eimile pulled herself and the Legate out of the wreck. A dragon had landed near them.

Eimile shouted at the dragon, "Fus Ro Da!"

The dragon staggered back, but it seemed to be smiling. The Altmer took this time to run and hide behind a rock.

"Greetings, Dovahkiin," growled the dragon.

"Who are you?" asked Eimile cautiously.

He responded, "I am Midnahtey. What brings you here?"

Eimile snarled, "I am a prisoner to these men. Would you assist me in being released?"

Midnahtey smiled, "I would be glad to do that."

Midnahtey spit fire behind the rock where the Altmer hid. All of them burned to the ground, screaming.

Eimile smiled, "Thank you, my friend."

Midnahtey asked, "Where must you go? I can take you there."

Eimile responded, "Solitude."

Midnahtey extended his wing to let his friend climb up onto his back. He flapped his wings, and soon they were high above the clouds.

He swooped down below from time to time, finally slowing down over an open field.

Midnahtey landed and explained, "I am sorry, but this is as far as I can go without causing trouble. Your destination is not far from here."

The sound of his voice attracted some people in the beacon tower, and they rapidly shot arrows at him.

Dragons usually withstand these attacks, but an arrow struck his eye, and he bled out on the ground around him.

Eimile entered the tower and lay waste to the bandits residing in there with her axe, taking all the gold she could find from their corpses.

She came out of the tower, rushing to her friend's side.

"Aaz Ha So," whispered Eimile.

Midnahtey croaked, "My soul will go to you, no? I will always be with you, Dovahkiin."

"That was not a fair fight!" argued Eimile.

"You used your thu'um on me when you first lay eyes on me, did you not, Dovahkiin?" asked Midnahtey.

Eimile explained, "It was an instinct! I did not know if you were going to hurt me, Midnahtey."

Midnahtey smiled weakly, "You mortals always act on your feelings. So is the world."

"Aaz Hah So!" pleaded Eimile.

"Su'um ahrk mora," croaked Midnahtey as he expired. A white light appeared, and entered Eimile.

She took one of his scales and some gold from his bones, and continued on the road to Solitude.


	4. Solitude

Eimile walked for miles, until she noticed a sign. She read it, and headed straight north for Solitude.

She continued walking, until she noticed a cross on the side of the road. She approached it, and gasped when she saw that someone was hanging on the cross.

She knew the woman hanging from the cross. She fought alongside her many times during the war.

"Susata!" yelled Eimile as she tore down the cross and removed the nails from her friend's wrists and feet.

Hot angry tears flowed down Eimile's face when she realized her friend was dead.

"Those imperial BASTARDS!" shouted Eimile.

Eimile dug a grave and gently lay her friend down in it. She placed some gold and her old Iron Sword over her friend's body for her next life.

She covered the grave in dirt and continued down the road, burying each Stormcloak she found crucified.

She tore off her cloak at the last mile marker so every imperial bastard could see who they were messing with.

The guards stopped her at the gates.

"Iiresha, look what we've got here!" exclaimed one of the guards.

Iiresha responded, "I have eyes, Tumriil. What we have here is one of Ulfric's ass kissers."

Eimile retorted, "I will be spoken to with respect, regardless of political views. Now, let me into your fine city."

Iiresha asked, "What brings you here, traveler?"

Eimile answered, "I am here on orders from Legate Fasendil."

"Prove it!" demanded Tumriil.

Eimile showed the two guards the note. They looked at it together, and then Iiresha nodded.

Iiresha warned, "Enter at your own risk, traveler."

Eimile nodded and ran through the gates. Her eyes locked on the palace and she used her Whirlwind Sprint to run to her destination.

She wasted no time in killing the guards posted outside the door and racing into the palace.

Inside, Eimile shouted down the doors to a chamber with, "FUS RO DAH!"

The legates still sat at the table in the chamber as she stormed inside and removed her helmet, glaring every last one of them down.

Eimile barked, "I have come here as you requested. What is so important that you call me to Solitude from my home in Riften?"

Captain Aldis stood up and said, "We were looking all over for you, until we received a tip from Margret on your last trip to Markarth."

Eimile stomped and shouted, "ANSWER MY QUESTION!"

Aldis explained, "Though your current persuasion may make this task difficult for you, Dragonborn, we are asking you to kill Ulfric."

Eimile asked, "Why is this my problem?"

Aldis reasoned, "As the Dragonborn, it is your duty to protect the realm, and we are asking you to do just that."

Eimile snapped, "Give me one good reason why I should listen to you."

Aldis answered, "The Thalmor will take this opportunity to take over Skyrim now that no imperial power is prevalent here."

Eimile argued, "Ulfric will have me deal with them as he sees fit. Do not ever try to do his job for him."

Aldis retorted, "We are asking you to carry out this job because that racist bastard will cause the crumble of society as we know it!"

Eimile screamed, "DO NOT INSULT MY KING!"

Aldis shouted, "HE IS NO KING, HE IS A FOOL!"

Eimile asked, "Why do you care about what happens in Skyrim?"

Aldis answered, "Because it belongs to the Empire!"

Eimile shrieked, "IT BELONGS TO ALL FOLLOWERS OF TALOS!"

Aldis shouted, "I SPIT ON YOUR GOD!"

Eimile pulled out her axe and charged at the captain, ready to split his skull. A surge of lightning paralyzed her, making sure that no such thing would happen.

Eimile came to, sitting in a filthy tunic. Her wrists were bound in iron chains and she sat in a dank cell under the keep.

She heard squeaking wheels as Legate Rikke came rolling into the prison. She stopped in front of Eimile's cell and smirked.

"We meet again, but this time I will come out on top, traitor!" smirked Rikke.

"That's what you think," retorted Eimile.

"Seeing as all your weapons are gone and have been redistributed amongst the men here, and you have nothing on you, I'd say I'm on top," smiled Rikke.

Eimile snapped, "Why do you keep questioning the power of the Dragonborn? I could rip you limb from limb as easily as you can put chains on me."

Rikke smirked, "And as easily as I could pawn off this," as she held Brynjolf's necklace up.

Eimile shouted, "Take my weapons, but do not take that necklace!"

"Why should I care? Is this a favor from your beloved back home?" teased Rikke.

"What has happened in my life is of no concern to you. Give that to me this instant!" barked Eimile.

Rikke decided to divert the conversation and offered her prisoner some wine from her canteen. Eimile sniffed it, making sure that there was nothing in the wine. Once she was satisfied, she drank some of it.

Rikke cackled, "You are so stupid, Dragonborn! This wine was laced with a tasteless truth serum. Tell me the name of your beloved."

Feeling as though the words were being pulled from her mouth, Eimile responded, "Brynjolf."

Rikke smiled, "I know you came from Riften, prisoner, so that narrows things down for me. I can find this Brynjolf, and then I can do whatever I want to him after you've died. You'll be with your friends we used to mark the road."

The thought of anyone taking her man made Eimile's blood boil. She glared at the Legate and inhaled.

"MUL QAH DIIV!" shouted Eimile in all her rage. The chains that once bound her to the wall shattered like glass and she charged at Rikke, free at last from her imprisonment.

The shout made her stronger than her usual form. She tore down the iron bars with her bare hands and glared at Rikke.

Rikke drew her sword and swung it at her.

Eimile's tougher skin did not even get scratched by it. The force caused Rikke to drop her sword.

Eimile picked it up off the floor and plunged it several times into her chest, abdomen, and legs. She then picked up the legate by the throat and squeezed it until she turned blue. She slammed the body onto the wheelchair and broke it.

Once the effects wore off, Eimile retrieved her necklace and put it back on her neck. She donned Rikke's armor and put her sword back in its sheath. Before taking off, she used fire breath on the corpse to make sure nobody could reanimate her.

She raced up the stairs and summoned all the Legates out of bed.

"What is so important that we had to wake up at midnight?" asked Aldis.

In a deep voice, Eimile responded, "Legate Rikke was found dead, her wheelchair broken. The Dragonborn has escaped!"

Aldis snarled, "She can go cry to Ulfric for all we care. We'll just take the party to him. Mobilize the troops!"

Eimile responded, "At once, sir!" and sprinted off, seemingly to find the other men.

She strolled through the palace until she found a room with weapons in it. She walked in and inspected a few of them, discovering that they were all hers. She took her belongings, and her gold, and continued walking around.

She wrote a note to send to Ulfric. It looked like it threatened a battle, but she knew that Ulfric would know that it was a warning from her. She looked around for someone to send her message.

She soon found a few young men standing around. She approached them and they all stood at attention.

"Which one of you is willing to do a bit of traveling?" asked Eimile.

"How far?" asked one of the boys.

Eimile answered, "Windhelm. I will give half of the gold I have here to whoever sends my message."

One boy stepped forward and said, "I am Plitero. I will deliver your message."

Eimile handed 100 gold to Plitero and sent him on his way. She walked off, smiling. She really had about 14,000 gold, but she did not want to part with all of it.

A horn sounded outside, summoning all of the legion. She ran off to report for duty, and lined up right along with the other men.

Aldis shouted, "Men! As you all know, the Dragonborn has escaped! She's likely running off to warn Ulfric, as she's his right hand girl! Ulfric will only expect a few men, but he has the entire Imperial Legion coming to his doorstep, teeming with men ready to serve Tamriel justice!"

Captain Aldis moved his hand, and the Imperial Legion marched into carts for the journey to Windhelm. One by one, the carts lined up and rolled off into the night.

One man looked at Eimile and said to the man next to him, "I've never been with a Breton before, have you, Adavius?"

Adavius responded, "Never, Ralicus."

Eimile snarled, "And you never will be!"

Ralicus laughed, "I guess I know why it's called High Rock. Their women are stone cold bitches!"

She hit him with the handle of her sword and snapped, "It's called High Rock because they breed us harder than you wimps from Cyrodiil and Skyrim."

The rest of the ride to Windhelm was silent. As they continued down the road, she stroked Brynjolf's necklace, and silently promised that she'd return to him.

The Imperial Legion was on its way to serve Tamriel justice. Eimile went with them to serve her country justice.


	5. Brynjolf

Brynjolf took over as Guildmaster in Eimile's absence. This was his way of keeping his promise to her to watch the Guild while she was gone.

He was strict, as he wanted to keep things running as if nothing had changed at all. This was mainly to distract himself from thinking about the lass he missed so much.

The day the two met, he knew she was different from the rest. Besides being the Dragonborn, something about Eimile, or Lass as he liked to call her, set her apart from the other women he'd loved in his lifetime.

Being handsome had attracted many women to him, but he returned those affections to only three women.

He did not have a specific type of woman that he liked, he just wanted to pursue women that would challenge him, or make him want to be a better person.

His heart used to be wide open like the skies of Tamriel, until he courted Vex. Vex was indeed a beautiful woman, but a cruel one.

One must be cruel to be a thief, but Brynjolf did not feel that that should give her an excuse to be unpleasant to everyone she met.

Her harsh words and demeanor never changed, even when the two were alone. She was never kind to Brynjolf, but she swore she loved him and he loved her fiercely. She kept him around for good looks, and he stayed because he distracted her from Tonilia.

He loved Vex so much that he went and bought the Amulet of Mara. He approached her to ask for her hand, but when he saw her, something changed his mind.

That something was Mercer Frey. Brynjolf caught Vex kissing Mercer. He silently put the amulet away and decided to keep his distance.

Vex knew that Brynjolf knew of her disloyalty, and something inside her snapped. She chased him and grabbed his shirt.

"Brynjolf! You'll talk to me when I approach you!" snarled Vex.

He removed himself from her grip and dismissed her, saying, "Sorry, I've got other important things to do."

Vex smirked, "Yeah, me."

Brynjolf retorted between gritted teeth, "That would be something you can take up with Mercer from now on."

She slapped him in the face and said, "You don't get to fucking break up with me. You don't have that right."

Brynjolf snapped, "I'm doing you a favor, so you can be with Mercer without having to feel bad about yourself. Wait, do you even feel bad about anything?"

Vex screamed, "YOU ASKED FOR IT, AND YOU'RE GONNA FUCKING GET IT!" and pinned him to the ground, punching him in the face repeatedly.

Brynjolf managed to roll over and pin her hands above her head. His green eyes burned with a rage he tried to keep to himself.

"I DIDN'T ASK FOR A BITCH LIKE YOU, VEX!" he screamed as Mercer came in.

Mercer pulled Brynjolf off of Vex and helped her up. He looked at the two of them and shook his head.

"This monster HIT me, Mercer!" wailed Vex.

Mercer turned to scream at Brynjolf, but noticed cuts and bruises on his face. Not wanting to blow this situation up any more, he decided to keep the two apart.

Mercer growled, "Brynjolf, Vex, you two are to stay away from each other. Do not speak to one another, work on jobs together, or even breathe the other person's air. Do you understand?"

The two of them nodded. Mercer was sad to split up the best team in the Guild, but he was not going to let hurt feelings hinder progress.

For the most part, they listened; however, if Mercer was not looking, Vex would shoot him an ice cold glance, and Brynjolf would shake his head. In her mind, this whole mess was his fault.

Brynjolf was crushed at first, but he eventually learned to shut off his hurt and bottle his feelings up. He let his tensions out on any job in the Guild. He was tenacious and efficient, just the way Mercer liked his thieves.

He turned away woman who tried to flirt with him in an effort to keep himself from getting hurt.

He kept that going until he and Lass met in the tavern and she had proven to be a worthy thief.

Brynjolf was proud to introduce Lass to the guild. Vex seethed at the new woman standing before her in the Flagon, which made Brynjolf smile even more.

Vex provided Lass with tests and things to undermine her, but being the smart girl she was, Lass always came out on top.

When it was thought that Lass had died, Brynjolf then realized he loved her. The very thought that the woman who helped his heart mend was gone forever crushed his heart into dust.

In the time she was gone, Vex came up to him and tried to flirt with him.

She smirked, "Your lady is dead my dear, but I'm not."

He pushed her away which drove her insane. She stormed off to her room and screamed in frustration.

Karliah returned to the Flagon, and he was sure that it was her fault that Lass was dead. He still believed that she was behind Gallus's death.

He was ready to open Karliah's throat, when suddenly Lass entered, removed her hood, and smiled at him.

His legs threatened to give out as he rushed to her side. He embraced her so tightly that she could have actually died this time.

"Lass, I thought you were gone forever," whispered Brynjolf.

"It'll take a lot to get rid of me," smiled Lass as she kissed his cheek.

He went on to become a Nightingale with Lass. When they took their vows together to become initiates, he realized that he had other vows he wanted to say with her.

Lass went on to become Guildmaster, and he was always at her side to help her. He could not help but think that the Guildmaster's hood looked pretty on her when she put it on during her coronation.

He then thought about how she would look in a dress when they got married. A green or gold dress would suit her more than a white one. It would bring out her beautiful eyes.

He wondered what she would do with that long and beautiful hair of hers. For the most part, she kept it in a braid to keep it out of the way, but when she washed her hair, it was this gorgeous and curly mess.

His train of thought was interrupted by Vex. She approached the desk and slammed her hands down on it.

"Fantasizing about that Stormcloak bitch again, Bryn?" smirked Vex.

"Is there something I can do for you, or are you here to be angry about something?" asked Brynjolf.

Vex scoffed, "Yeah, there's something you can do for me. You can cut that bitch loose so we can get the Guild back on track."

Brynjolf crossed his arms and retorted, "I'm not going to do that. We've been in better shape than when your lover was in charge."

Vex snarled, "Don't talk about that disgusting rat! We may have been together in the past, but ever since I discovered that he stole from us, I have hated him!"

Brynjolf raised an eyebrow and snapped, "I'll talk about your lover all I want until you learn to talk about mine in a respectful manner."

Vex retorted, "You don't even like her. She's just a distraction because you're still pining over me deep inside. Don't think I don't know anything about you, Bryn."

Brynjolf dismissed her by saying, "By that logic, you're flirting with me because you're still heartbroken over losing Mercer."

Vex was flustered. She could not make an appropriate comeback so she stormed off to her chambers to seethe some more.

Brynjolf paid her no mind. He learned to ignore her attempts to play with his head long ago, and how to fight back without causing a scene.

He continued to look at the records that Lass had kept so meticulously. It was hard to decipher her writing at times, but there was an odd charm to it. It was like you could hear her voice, but on paper.

Once everything seemed like it was in order, Brynjolf decided that he needed to go rest. He had not slept since Lass left, and he could feel himself slowing down.

He stopped by the statue of Nocturnal to pay respects to her, and then looked at the portrait of the current Guildmaster and smiled.

The artist captured her natural smirk and her beautiful green eyes so well. She looked like a deity to be worshipped.

He wandered to the Guildmaster's chambers, but he stopped himself before going into the room. He was so used to sleeping next to Lass that it felt natural to go to her chambers.

He opened the door and looked around the room. The room was a mess, but everything was exactly how Lass liked it. It was as if she was standing right next to him.

Brynjolf pulled off his boots and crawled into her bed. He could smell her on the pillow and he slipped into a deep sleep.

In his dreams, he and Lass were in a field in the sunshine, and she was laughing. The two of them were free, free from the expectations of life in the Guild.

Lass turned to him and smiled, "Come on, let's go!" and held out her hand.

Brynjolf pleaded, "It's beautiful here, let's stay a while, lass!"

Her features changed to those of Vex. Her brown curls became straight and blonde. Her beautiful smile turned to a hideous frown.

She hissed, "Let's go, lover boy!" and reached out and grabbed his shirt.

He woke to Vex standing in the doorway to the chamber.

Brynjolf snapped, "I locked the door for a reason. Let a man sleep!"

Vex looked away and responded, "Any lock can be picked, stupid. Besides, you've been in here for at least a day." She walked off in the direction of the Cistern.

Brynjolf sat up and pulled on his boots. If Vex wasn't lying, he had work to catch up on. He promised Lass that he would watch the Guild, and he never wanted to fail his love.


	6. Marching off to War

Ulfric carefully analyzed the letter he received. He felt as though something was odd about this note.

When the courier brought it to him announcing that it was from Solitude, Ulfric immediately became concerned. What if Storm-Blade was in trouble?

The contents of the note, though hard to decipher at first, seemed straightforward: the Legion was preparing to attack and restore Skyrim to the Empire, which under Ulfric's watch would not happen.

The tone did not seem like a threat though; it sounded more like a warning. Why would someone from the Legion be warning him?

Galmar Stone-Fist read the note over the king's shoulder and had a sudden realization.

Galmar stated, "Ulfric, I know that hand better than anyone's; it can only be Storm-Blade."

Ulfric responded, "The courier said it came from Castle Dour. Do you think she was taken prisoner?"

Galmar laughed, "You underestimate Storm-Blade! Even if she was, I believe she escaped and she's undercover. She is twice as clever as she is fierce."

Ulfric read the note again. The note stated that the Legion would be there the day after the note came. Ulfric realized he had only hours to rally the troops and defend the kingdom.

Ulfric ordered Galmar to get the Stormcloaks ready to defend the castle and to get the other commanders into the war room without delay. Galmar immediately went running off to the barracks.

He shouted to the men below him, "Commanders! Get your men ready for battle and then report immediately to Ulfric!"

Men scrambled to obey orders. Crowds of men grabbed their armor, sharpened their weapons, and then fell into line with their brothers.

Once everybody was in order, the commanders raced up to Ulfric's war room. The room was abuzz with nervous chatter as they wondered why they were called into the room. Ulfric raised a hand and the conversations subsided.

Ulfric looked at everyone in the room and announced, "Men, we have a serious situation on our hands."

The room quieted down even more. What kind of situation was he talking about?

Ulfric stated, "Among the men who will be storming our castle is Storm-Blade. We have confirmed that she…"

One man stood up and shouted, "Traitor! I told you all not to trust a Breton and this is why!"

Galmar banged his fist on the table and barked, "You will be SILENT unless the King addresses you, Commander Grisar!"

Ulfric continued, "As I tried to say before, we have confirmed she was taken prisoner by the Legion. She may be among them as a means to escape. If you catch her in battle, you are hereby ordered to put her in prison, so I can deal with her myself. Relay that message to your men."

Grisar asked, "How will we know to find her?"

Ulfric put his hand over his face and answered, "You've seen her axe have you not? She is probably the only person who wields such an axe. She may also use her thu'um in a fight, because she is the Dragonborn, and there aren't too many soldiers trained in the Voice."

Galmar then dismissed the men and told them to move out. The commanders were gone in a heartbeat.

Meanwhile, the Legion was quickly approaching Windhelm. Eimile silently prayed to whomever was listening that Ulfric got her message in time.

The carts stopped, and everyone jumped down off the carts. This reminded Eimile of what she had to do in Helgen.

The legionnaires gathered around Aldis; he then made the soldiers line up in a marching block. Eimile quickly realized she was going to be on the front lines.

Aldis called out, "Prepare to do what it takes to bring Skyrim back to the Empire! If you have a blade in your hand and you are near the false king, kill him! Give him a taste of what he's done to our men!"

The Legion called out, "Yes sir!" in unison.

Aldis continued, "The Dragonborn is one of his top officers. It is likely that she is among these men and has informed him of our plan! We will strike anyway, and we will kill her too!"

Everybody shouted, "Yes sir!" though Eimile's response was a bit more sarcastic in tone.

Aldis signaled for them to forward march, and off they went into battle.

An arrow struck the man next to Eimile, which had to mean they were getting close.

Eimile muttered, "Oh shit," under her breath. She knew she had to find Ulfric, or she would be destroyed by her own men.

Outraged, Aldis ordered, "These pigs have no decency! Charge!"

Eimile lead the pack into Windhelm. She broke down the barriers with her axe, and they snapped like twigs.

Eimile sprinted around, making it seem like she was doing something. She went after a soldier as if she were going to attack him, recognizing him as her friend Thorald Gray-Mane.

She backed him into a dark corner and removed her helmet. His eyes went wide in shock.

He whispered, "Storm-Blade? What are you doing on their side?"

She responded, "I'll explain more, but I have to see Ulfric."

Thorald growled, "Traitor! I believed in you but you have betrayed me and Ulfric!"

Eimile argued, "I am helping Ulfric, believe me!"

Thorald yelled, "Tell that to Talos when he judges you for your heinous actions against your king!" and made Eimile put her hands behind her head.

He tied her wrists tightly with some rope. Once she was bound, he ordered her to move forward and pressed the tip of his sword into her back.

She pleaded, "I'm no traitor! Please don't harm me!"

Thorald ignored her pleas and nudged her along into the prison cells below. She struggled to break free from her binds, but she could not get loose.

Eimile asked, "Thorald, if I were really a traitor, why would I willingly give myself up?"

She looked into his eyes and she realized that this was no ploy to rescue her. Ulfric would have her hanged for treason, even though she followed his orders.

She begged, "Thorald, please! I could still kill you if I had to so I can get out of these binds! Follow your officer's orders and release me!"

Thorald snapped, "You're no officer, you piece of filth!"

Thorald knocked her unconscious with a swift punch to her forehead. He shut the door to her cell and locked it tightly.

Thorald ran upstairs and found Ulfric. He whispered in his ear that Storm-Blade was in a cell. Ulfric nodded, and ordered him to return to his post.

When Thorald left, Ulfric slowly got up and made his way down to the cells.


	7. Trial

Eimile awoke to Ulfric on the other side of the cell door. She knew she would have to think fast to convince him that she was not a traitor.

"Storm-Blade!" exclaimed Ulfric.

Eimile answered in a groggy voice, "Ulfric, I'm well aware that the Stormcloaks are not happy with me, but you need to listen."

Ulfric interjected, "I got your note and immediately knew what was going on. You were ordered to be put in jail to avoid suspicion."

Eimile sat up and exclaimed, "Really? Thorald made it look like I was going to be hanged for what I had to do."

Ulfric shook his head and responded, "He's under Grisar's command, so Grisar may have worded things a bit differently."

Eimile nodded understandingly. She and Grisar never really got along.

Ulfric then stated, "It is time to get you out of here. Let me find the key."

While he looked for a key, Eimile laughed, "Last time, I broke out of prison using a thu'um. It killed my jailor in the process and I took her armor."

Ulfric responded, "That sounds like the Storm-Blade I know. Here we are!"

He unlocked the cell and Eimile walked out, thanking him as she did.

Ulfric asked, "You remember where the armory is, girl? Go get some armor and give them a taste of that axe!"

Eimile grinned, "Right away, sir!" and sprinted down the hall.

In the armory, she discarded her Legion armor and put on her Stormcloak armor. Before putting her helmet on, she tied her hair into a neat plait.

She stormed outside and fought amongst the remaining Stormcloaks outside. She swung her axe and the imperials were at her mercy once again.

Both sides were weakened, save for the commanders and a few soldiers. Eimile did not like the looks of the outcome, and thus ordered her men inside.

Eimile shouted, "Imperial commanders come forth! Fight for the men and women you so ruthlessly command if you care for them!"

The four remaining commanders, including Captain Aldis, stood before Eimile.

They drew their swords and pounced on Eimile.

Eimile easily cut down three of the four assailants. One swing sliced one man clean in half. Another removed another man's head. The third sunk deep into that man's chest and the man lay on the ground bleeding.

Eimile calmly inhaled, and dropped her axe. Aldis ran at her with his sword, ready to take her head.

He came within a foot of her when she shouted, "ZUN!" which ripped his weapons from him.

He raised a fist to punch her, but she caught it and threw him to the ground still holding his wrist. The throw broke his wrist and rendered his hand unusable.

She made a 'tsk' sound at him and laughed, "That's why you never punch with your sword hand, dear. Have fun fighting with that!"

Eimile grabbed him by the armor and dragged him inside in front of Ulfric who sat on the throne. He nodded and she threw Aldis to the ground.

Ulfric snarled, "As the last surviving commanding officer of the Imperial Legion, I am charging you with all of the crimes the legion has recently committed. You will have a public trial and Storm-Blade, Galmar, and I will judge you based on facts we find and testimony we hear."

Aldis asked, "What of my men?"

Ulfric answered, "I have already ordered Galmar to round up as many as he can and execute them. They will die because of your foolishness."

Two soldiers took him off to a prison cell while Eimile turned to Ulfric.

Eimile began to say, "Ulfric, I am honored to be named a judge but what good…"

Ulfric interjected, "You were a victim of his crimes. You will give your statement and judge him all in one swift motion. Though biased in the eyes of the law, I trust you and Galmar most."

Eimile nodded, though she was unsure if she agreed with this idea.

Ulfric continued, "When he is sentenced to death, I would like it if you swung the axe instead of the executioner."

Eimile smiled, "Nothing would please me more!"

Ulfric then said, "You must have had a rough couple of weeks. My servants will prepare a bed for you to stay in until the trial is over."

He grabbed a bottle of ale and split it amongst the two of them.

Ulfric held up his mug and said, "To your victory!"

Eimile held up hers and responded, "To your health!"

They tapped mugs and drank the ale. More bottles were placed on the table as the night went on.

Later on, a serving girl came to the throne room and motioned for Eimile to follow her. She gladly went upstairs, collapsed onto the bed, and fell into a deep sleep.

The morning came all too quickly. Eimile opened her eyes and sat up in bed. On the table at the end of her bed sat her freshly cleaned armor.

A handmaid came in and announced, "The king wishes for you to get cleaned up for the trial. A bath is set up and I will wash you."

Eimile got up and followed her to the tub. She wondered how long it had been since she had last washed.

She stepped into the scalding water and sighed with relief. The girl lathered on some lavender soap and cleaned the grime from her body.

Once Eimile was sufficiently clean, the lady helped her put her armor and boots on. The lady tied some small plaits around the crown of Eimile's head and secured them with a small clip. Eimile put her helmet on and handed the lady some gold.

She walked down the stairs to have some breakfast with Ulfric. Ulfric looked at her and smiled.

"You look like a new woman, Storm-Blade!" he exclaimed.

Eimile smiled and filled her plate with as much food as she could. It felt wonderful to be amongst her brothers again, though she was eager to return to Riften.

She laughed and joked with her men as she ate her fill of bread and meat and she drank enough ale to kill a bear.

A soldier somberly came in and announced, "Aldis is secure, my King!" Ulfric looked at Eimile and she nodded.

The two got up and joined with Galmar, who was ready to serve some justice. The doors opened and the ceremonial procession began.

Galmar held his hand out and took Eimile's. Together, they walked up to the two chairs set up next to the throne. Everybody in the throne room stood up when they saw the two judges enter. Ulfric followed behind them.

When the judges were seated, two soldiers dragged Aldis in and made him kneel before the judges.

One man shouted, "High court is in session! Aldis versus Skyrim is in session!"

Ulfric asked, "You are being charged for conspiracy, rebellion, false imprisonment, murder, and fraud. Do you have anything to say before we proceed?"

Aldis spit, "Fuck Talos, the Divines will watch me and see me walk out a free man."

Ulfric sighed, "I call the first witness, Eimile the Dragonborn."

Eimile stood in front of the magistrate and asked, "Yes, my King?"

Ulfric asked, "You were his prisoner; why did he have you in his cells in Solitude?"

Eimile moaned, "That man ordered his mages to paralyze me when I tried to leave Castle Dour!"

Galmar snarled, "I sent men under your command to protect you. Why weren't you protected?"

Eimile looked at the floor and answered, "They were killed and turned into road markers. When he ran out of my men, he used the men Jarl Balgruuf the Greater had sent to help me."

Galmar drew his sword and barked, "And you call us savages! Let us end this trial and take his head!"

Ulfric put a hand on his shoulder and said, "We must wait and hear all testimony, Galmar. Let us continue."

Galmar sat down and muttered curses under his breath. Ulfric shot a glance at him but decided to continue asking questions.

"What would cause him to need to imprison you?"

Eimile answered, "He made Fasendil send orders to me to come before the other remaining imperial legates in Solitude. When I arrived there was a job waiting for me."

"What were your orders?"

"To kill the king. When I refused and moved to defend my king, I was imprisoned."

"How was your stay in prison?"

"I awoke in a cell bare as Talos made me. My engagement necklace was stolen along with my weapons. He and a woman tried to get more information out of me."

Ulfric straightened in his chair, "Did you say anything?"

"I vehemently refused but they fed me wine laced with a traceless truth potion and continued asking questions."

"Did you give any information then?"

"Only on my intended husband. They then threatened to kidnap him and make him watch me be publically executed and shamed."

Aldis spit, "I DID NO SUCH THING!"

Eimile decided to play the crowd. Though she did not agree with underhanded tactics when it came to justice, she wanted to watch that man die.

"You willed it! I heard you discuss with the woman that you would rape me in front of the town before hanging me!"

"You're Ulfric's little whore! You'd probably like it!"

Ulfric slammed his fist onto the armrest of his throne and snarled, "First you try to murder my men, but now you insult my commander? You are not helping your cause. Return to your seat, Dragonborn."

Eimile nodded and returned to her bench.

Ulfric asked a few other soldiers to step forth and give testimony. These soldiers gave testimony in exchange for pardons from the king.

He asked each of them, "What were your orders when you marched on Windhelm?"

All of their responses were basically the same: "Kill the king and the Dragonborn."

It was time for Aldis to give his testimony. He looked Ulfric dead in the eye. Ulfric motioned his hand, summoning a court alchemist to come into the room.

The man held up a selection of potions, and Ulfric selected a truth potion. He ordered his men to force it down Aldis' throat.

Ulfric frowned, "Since you wish to do that to your prisoners, I shall do it to you."

Aldis swallowed the potion and continued to glare at the king, as if he were daring him to continue the trial.

"What have you done with my men?"

"Used 'em as road markers so the Dragonborn wouldn't get lost."

"You ordered my own soldier to kill me?"

"We were unaware that she and the Dragonborn were the same person."

"You then ordered mages to try to kill her?"

"She drew her axe at me after I spit on Talos."

"Enough! Every word that comes out of your mouth continues to irritate me! Court will recess and return shortly for sentencing."

People promptly left the room and two soldiers dragged Aldis back to his cell. The three judges looked at each other.

Eimile broke the silence.

"There is no doubt he's guilty. His own men damned him."

Ulfric responded, "That is not why I recessed court. We need to discuss a proper sentence. I have already decided that Galmar will announce that he's guilty and you will execute him, but he needs to feel our wrath before being cleanly put down by you."

Galmar added, "We've killed his men so that's retribution for the men we lost."

Eimile demanded, "Let me publicly shame him before ending him. He wanted to do that to me, so I want to do it to him. Let me drag him through the streets nude so the people can hiss and jeer at him."

Ulfric nodded, "I permit you to do so. Let us tell the people." He called upon one of the soldiers to usher men back into the throne room.


	8. Celebration

The room was dead silent as Aldis was thrown before the judges. The judges stood up and looked around the room.

Galmar announced, "We have come to a decision based on evidence found against this man." He paused as everyone in the court looked at each other.

Ulfric nodded and let Galmar continue.

"Based on evidence we have found against this man, it is no surprise we have found him guilty on all counts."

Everyone in the room cheered.

"He is hereby sentenced to a public execution, carried out by Storm-Blade; she will decide on how to put him down."

The room cheered louder and the guards dragged away Aldis, kicking and screaming. The sentence would be carried out in the morning.

Everybody in the Stormcloak forces moved to the palace to celebrate the end of Imperial influence in Skyrim. For once, Ulfric's palace was joyful and alive.

Once everybody settled in, Ulfric raised his ale and said, "Since I was a boy, I have dreamed of a free Skyrim. I never thought that I would live to see that day."

People interrupted his speech with their cheering and drinking. Eimile slammed her mug on the table to silence the crowd.

"Thank you, Storm-Blade. As I was trying to say, I dreamt that the Nords would take their country back from those who stole her from their grasp. I never imagined that a Breton would help me realize that dream. Tonight we celebrate our victory, and Storm-Blade."

The room erupted in cheers once more. Ulfric and Eimile smiled and tapped their mugs together in celebration.

The horn blew in the morning, and Eimile awoke, realizing that she was still at the table from the feast from the night before, and so was Ulfric.

She woke him up and then ordered the guards to go wake the prisoner. She brought her axe to the grindstone and prayed for forgiveness from Talos.

She decided she would put on a show for the people watching and subject him to torture. She would beat him and whip him until he begged for mercy before removing his head.

She walked down to his cell and opened it.

Aldis sat up and spat, "Get it over with you rebellious whore."

She ordered her men to strip Aldis naked. Then she put a hood over his head and made him walk ahead of her with his hands bound tightly.

The doors to the castle opened and everybody threw filth at him and shouted insults.

"Traitor!"

"Rapist!"

"Murderer!"

Eimile dragged him to the town center and made him kneel. Ulfric, seated before them, nodded.

"Captain Aldis, in the name of our king Ulfric Stormcloak, I sentence you to die. Do you have any final words?" asked Eimile.

Aldis growled, "I am ready to meet the divines if it means that I do not live in a country ruled by Ulfric Stormcloak. You all have cursed your country by standing behind him."

This angered Eimile so she began her torture. She laid out her tools: a club, a whip, and her axe.

She beat him on the chest and abdomen so it would hurt him, but not kill him. The townspeople laughed and jeered.

Eimile shouted, "What a man! He threatens to rape the strongest woman in Skyrim, but he just got a vicious beating from her!"

The laughing grew louder as she pulled out a whip and lashed him severely. The people counted loudly every single lash.

Aldis still said nothing. Eimile pondered what to do next. She did not want to be out all day because he refused to talk.

She looked in her belongings, first pulling out a bottle of wine. She smelled it and winced. It had turned to vinegar, but that gave her an idea. She smirked as she made her next move.

She pulled off his hood and presented the bottle to him, asking, "Thirsty, Aldis?"

He grunted. She hit him with the club.

"Say that again."

"Give me a damn drink."

"Have some WINE!" she shouted as she poured the vinegar all over his lash wounds. He cried out in pain.

"Damn it woman, don't do that again!"

She lashed him a few times more.

"I demand that you stop!"

She called out to the townsfolk, "He wants me to stop because he's in pain. What should I do?"

They raised their fists and shouted, "KILL HIM!"

Eimile shrugged and cut part of the way through his neck with her axe. She yanked the rest of the way until it came off with a sickening "crunch" sound. She showed the head to the crowd.

"Storm-Blade!" the people chanted.

She turned around and presented the head to the king.

She announced, "It is done."

Ulfric pointed to the crowd and noted, "The people really like you, Storm-Blade. I have made a decision to offer you something that I hope you will accept."

She asked, "What is it?"

He answered, "I would name you Thane of Windhelm. The war is over thanks to you, and this is my way of repaying you for your service."

She nodded, accepting this title. He smiled, and went before his people.

"I have named Storm-Blade Thane of Windhelm. We shall celebrate in my palace this evening."

Eimile turned to him and laughed, "Another party?"

He shrugged, "It is a joyous time in the kingdom."

The people moved to the palace, further depleting the king's ale. When Eimile entered, the room broke into applause.

Ulfric leaned over to her and said, "You may say a few words if you like. I am sure they're tired of my voice."

Eimile stood up and tapped her mug on the table. The room stopped and stared at her.

"We are gathered here to celebrate my victories over the Imperials, but this isn't just my victory. This has been a dream for many people in Skyrim for years."

The room erupted in cheers again. Eimile held up a hand and the room quieted down once more.

"Tonight, I don't want you to think about me and how glorious I was on the battlefield. I want you to think about how many people went to Sovngarde following this same dream."

The room quieted down even more as they thought about her words. Eimile raised her mug and drank the contents in one go.

The night progressed on with bards singing Storm-Blade's praises, and others drunkenly joining in.

Every time new barrels of ale or mead came out, men cheered as she broke them open with her axe.

Every man was impressed that someone as small as her could outdrink everybody in the room.

The servants brought out basket after basket of sweet rolls and she drunkenly cheered as she carried off at least 20 rolls. She devoured them all and washed it down with a mug of ale.

"For Talos' sake woman, where does all that food and ale go?"

She hiccupped, "A few swings of the old axe burns it right off, mate!"

Ulfric was amused. He had never seen Storm-Blade enjoy herself because every time they saw each other, there were battles to fight.

As the last guests drunkenly staggered out of the palace, Ulfric turned to Eimile.

"Storm-Blade, in the morning you can go and claim any empty house in Windhelm, and I will provide servants and guards to care for you."

"With all respect Ulfric, I'm leaving tomorrow. It is high time I return to Riften. If you need me, I can always make the trip here without a problem."

"What is in Riften?"

She smiled, "Home,"

He nodded, "Very well. I will reserve a chamber here instead and give you the key to my palace. You may stay here any time you need to for as long as you need to."

"Thank you, Ulfric."

The two went upstairs and retired to bed. As Eimile lay in bed, she absentmindedly stroked her locket and smiled at the thought of returning home to Brynjolf.


	9. Reunion

Dawn came, and Eimile was on her way out of the city on a carriage. She normally would have made the trip alone and on foot, but she was carrying a few barrels of ale as a parting gift from Ulfric. She figured that being in a carriage would also keep her safe on the road as even a woman as fierce as her was not completely safe traveling alone on the roads of Skyrim

"Riften used to be a gorgeous city, but now it lies in ruins," noted the driver.

"Oh I know it, I live there," affirmed Eimile.

"D'you remember what it looked like before it went to pot?" asked the driver.

"I moved there recently from High Rock, but it must have been beautiful."

"What brings you there from High Rock? You could have gone to Whiterun, or stayed in Windhelm."

Eimile sighed, "There aren't many prospects for women there, even highborn ladies. I left to seek my fortune, and my adventures led me there."

The driver turned around.

"Highborn ladies you say?"

"The best hope a lady has is to get married, especially where I come from. I did not want to marry, so I left."

"Does that mean you…?"

Eimile looked around and whispered, "I'm from an elite family in Jehanna."

He got a good look at her.

"Wait. I've heard talk of the missing Sylud twin and how a good sum of gold awaits the man who returns her."

"Keep driving, sir."

"I could earn 20 septims by taking you to Riften or more gold than I know what to do with by taking you home. Let's go to Jehanna."

Eimile growled, "Stop the carriage! If you won't do your job, then I will walk to Riften myself."

"I need money, miss. You're going with me!"

Eimile jumped out of the carriage and started to run. The driver stopped the carriage and chased after her on foot.

"Quit fighting or your worth might go down!" shouted the driver.

Eimile hid under a bush and waited. She needed to devise a plan to get away from this man. She felt as though he would do bad things to her before they even left Skyrim.

"Come on, Eimile Sylud! Your mother wants you to go home!" taunted the driver. It sounded like he was getting closer and closer to her hiding place.

A blast of fire from the sky signaled Eimile's salvation. A dragon had swooped over them and was preparing to attack.

She darted out from under the bush. Surely the dragon would make a meal of the driver and ignore her long enough for her to escape.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. The dragon followed her and left the driver alone.

She shouted at it, "Wo Los Hi?!"

It heard her thu'um and landed, responding, "I am Niskaazsot. We meet, Dovahkiin."

She demanded, "Protect me, Niskaazsot."

"Alduin sent me to find you, krosis."

"I would rather die by you than go with him," she said, pointing at the driver.

Niskaazsot burned the man down. He crumpled to the floor in pure agony and shrieked his life out. When the man was naught more than ash, the dragon turned and looked at Eimile.

"Dovahkiin, let us settle this the old way. Let us shout at one another."

Eimile nodded and shouted, "Fus Ro Dah!"

He countered with, "Yol Toor Shul!"

"Joor Zah Frul!"

This held him down and he seemed impressed.

"You are learning to talk like a true dovah, Dovahkiin. Perhaps we have some hope after all."

"What do you mean? You said Alduin asked you to look for me."

"I did say that, but I had really wanted to look for you for my own reasons."

Eimile looked at Niskaazsot in confusion.

He explained, "I slept for a few centuries after a Dovahkiin like you put me down. Alduin woke me from my slumber, saying the Dovahkiin had returned. I wanted to see the Dovahkiin for myself."

"How did you know to look for me?"

"I heard a thu'um and followed its source."

"Will you tell Alduin of my strengths?"

"He will not believe me if I were to return to him speaking of your strength. He believes no word other than his own."

"Very well. Perhaps he will believe me when I destroy him."

"Perhaps. For now, I must go. Until we meet again, Dovahkiin."

"Breath and focus."

Niskaazsot smiled and took off into the sky, heading for the mountains. Eimile looked around to decide on what to do next.

The driver was dead, the horse had long since galloped off, and the ale barrels had all broken with their contents spilled on the ground.

She decided that the only direction she could go was forward, so she walked down the road looking for a sign.

As she walked, she realized that she should have asked Niskaazsot to fly her to Riften. He would not have been able to bring her directly to the city, but at least she would have a shorter walk.

She kept going until a khajiit approached her.

"Greetings, Breton! I am Ra'siri. We are not that different, no? You and Ra'siri are both strangers to Skyrim."

"What do you want?"

"Ra'siri wishes to offer the Manmeri lady his business. This one brings potions fit for a Jarl. Is the Breton interested, perhaps?"

"You will watch yourself when speaking to the thane of Whiterun and Windhelm."

"This one meant no offense to the Breton. Please, have a potion on Ra'siri."

He handed her a strange black bottle. She swirled it around a few times, but it did not splash and slosh like normal liquid. It was thick and slow. The viscosity of this strange liquid raised a red flag in her mind.

She asked, "What does this potion do?"

"The one who consumes this magic mixture of fermented moon sugar can bend reality and travel to other dimensions."

She demanded, "Let me open it."

He nodded and she popped the cork off the bottle. She sniffed it and frowned.

"I have been trained in alchemy from the time I was young. This is not moon sugar; this is just some crushed nightshade berries. Of course one who consumes the potion would travel to another world, they'd be dead."

The khajiit protested, "Ra'siri would never harm a good customer, especially a thane! This one is not guilty!"

He picked his robes up and scurried away. She laughed to herself as she watched the panicked khajiit run and pulled out a bow and arrow.

She drew back, and aimed just above his head. Ra'siri kept on going as she let go of the arrow.

It sped through the air and landed in his back. He hit the ground and screamed in pain.

"Khajiit does not understand why the Breton is angry. This one wanted to offer his reliable business!" pleaded Ra'siri.

"Would you have offered such a bottle to me had I not indicated I was a thane?"

"Ra'siri would give you any special bottle!"

"You were saving that one for someone special, someone in high power."

"No, this one is innocent!"

Two Stormcloaks heard the struggle and rushed to see what was going on.

"Both of you, quit it!"

"This cat tried to kill one of your officers!"

The two men got a good look at her and gasped.

"Storm-Blade! You made it back alive!"

"Yes I did, Balfgar, though this cat tried to make sure that I didn't. He offered me a potion consisting of crushed nightshade berries."

"We'll escort him to jail; you need to go rest."

"Thanks boys; I'll give you the rundown another time. I have drinks to drink and friends to see!"

She made her way into Riften and sighed in relief. The long excruciating journey was finally over and she could rest knowing that Ulfric would not call on her for a long time.

She eyed the Bee and Barb and sprinted over to it. She opened the door and slammed some gold on the table.

"As much mead as this'll get me please, Keerava."

The Argonian woman turned around and smiled, "Eimile! I heard you'd traveled to Solitude and we all were so worried about you."

Eimile smiled, "All our troubles are over, and I saw to it."

Keerava took the gold and smiled, "Three tankards of mead for our thirsty hero coming right up!"

She set down the cups and Eimile drank them like she had not had drink in twenty years.

Eimile asked, "Have you seen Brynjolf lately?"

"Yes, your intended was here a few times. He's alive, but sad. He missed you, girl."

Eimile handed her more gold and said, "I had better go to him. Have this gold for your troubles."

"You don't need to do that!"

"Ulfric paid me very well for my service, so there's always more where that came from!"

She left the tavern and ran to find the secret entrance to the Thieves Guild. It felt like time was slowing down with every step she took.

When she got to the entrance, she pressed the button and practically jumped down the ladder.

She walked into the Cistern and everybody looked at her.

Brynjolf was among the crowd. He stepped forward, and his heart nearly skipped a beat. Lass was home.

He ran to her, and hugged her tightly, lifting her into the air. He spun around while still holding her in his arms.

"Lass, it's you!" he exclaimed.

"It's me!" she whispered.

She looked into his eyes and truly felt like she was home. She had been to probably every hold in Skyrim from all her travels as the Dragonborn and from fighting in the Civil War, but nowhere was ever truly home. Only Brynjolf was home.

Brynjolf finally felt whole having his lass in his arms once more. So long he had waited for someone to fill the empty void in his heart and she had filled it just by being near him. Every moment away from her tore him to shreds inside. He would never let his lass go again.

He set her back on her feet and kissed her. The two walked into the Ragged Flagon to greet Delvin Mallory.

Eimile slammed gold on the bar and announced that everyone was getting free ale. Barrels started rolling out and mugs overflowed with drink.

Eimile sat at a table and Brynjolf moved in next to her. He was not about to let anyone get close to his lass.

Eimile could sense the tension and whispered to him, "How about we go back to my place?" She wiggled her eyebrows at him and cracked a crooked smile.

Brynjolf could not help but laugh. She had a way of getting him out of his absolute worst moods. He stood up and extended his hand to her. She took his hand and off they ran to her chambers.

She removed her armor and sat on her bed, waiting for Brynjolf to climb into bed.

He was more than excited to be able to sleep next to her for the first time in forever. He crawled under the blankets and kissed her cheek, smiling when he realized she was already asleep. He covered the two of them with the blankets and slipped an arm around her, slipping into a deep sleep.


	10. Finale

The morning of the wedding was finally here. Eimile awoke to an empty space beside her in bed. She figured that Brynjolf was off preparing for the wedding or on a job somewhere. She sat up in bed and pondered what was to come this day.

Brynjolf knew that she loved him, and she knew that he loved her. They had whispered it to one another, and they had shown one another that they loved each other through actions. Did they really need to find a ring and have it recognized before a Divine for it to be real? She decided that they did because it meant something to Brynjolf.

She decided to get out of bed and do a job or two before having to get ready for the wedding. She eyed a slip of parchment on her bedside and reached for it. She flopped back into bed and sobbed after reading its contents.

"I cannot go through with this wedding," was all that the note said.

Eimile could not believe that Brynjolf would leave her without telling her to her face. He was always so honest with her and would tell her if something was wrong even if it hurt her to know the truth. He respected her that much, or so she thought.

She pulled her armor on and walked to the Cistern. She had work to do, and she had a certain nord to yell at.

Vex approached her and noted, "You seem upset, Guildmaster."

Eimile snapped, "You don't ever call me Guildmaster. You never called Mercer that. You're up to something."

Vex muttered, "Shit."

Eimile took the slip of paper out of her pocket and held it in her face.

"Something makes me think you did this."

Vex tore the paper and snarled, "You've got me this time."

Eimile got in her face and snapped, "I've got you this time and every time. You're going to end this bullshit once and for all."

Vex frowned, "I'm doing you a favor. Brynjolf is only using you to distract himself from me. Eventually he's going to try to get back together with me."

Eimile growled, "How many times has he tried to do that since he's been with me? Zero. You're trying to shit on us because you feel bad. I'm telling you now that I will no longer allow that in my guild."

Vex rolled her eyes, "Your guild? You haven't been here long enough to call it yours. You joined when it was already on its upturn and people just associate its newfound glory with you. I could call it mine because I actually worked to make the guild better."

Eimile laughed, "Were you working hard enough when you screwed up Goldenglow? Did your mistake make it better?"

Vex lunged for her and barked, "You BITCH!"

People had turned their heads when the argument began, but now that the altercation was getting physical, they crowded around the two girls.

Vex's blows were swift, but Eimile managed to dodge them. Vex's leg went up to kick her in the face, and Eimile grabbed her leg and knocked her to the ground.

She knelt on Vex's chest and rained fists on her face. Vex loosened her arm and shoved Eimile off of her. Eimile stood up and Vex shoved her up against the railing and held a dagger to her throat.

Vex threatened, "I was just going to ask you to resign, but I'm going to have to make you step down. Permanently."

Brynjolf came down the ladder as Vex made her threat and bellowed, "Vex!"

Vex dropped her knife and turned her head. Eimile grabbed Vex and restrained her.

Brynjolf snapped, "You are out of this guild. You've done enough lying and plotting against the guildmaster."

Eimile let her go and Vex scoffed. She got up and ran off out of the cistern and headed somewhere west.

Brynjolf opened his arms and Eimile ran to him.

"She tried to make me believe that you didn't want to marry me."

"I left to go confirm that things were ready at the temple. I should have known that she'd try to pull something like this. I should have sent someone instead of me."

"Was I too rash to kick her out?"

"She was a good thief but she would have kept on doing that until the day I died. You did the right thing, lass."

Brynjolf put his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes and said, "I would never dream of leaving you, lass. Now, we've got a wedding to prepare for."

Eimile smiled and ran to her chambers to get ready.

She took a long and hot bath, enjoying how the hot water felt on her scalp. She scrubbed every inch of her being with lavender oil and got out of the tub.

She looked at herself in the mirror as she dried off. She always had dirt or blood on her from the road, and never got to see herself truly clean.

She brushed out her hair and let it dry until it became curly again. She placed little braids throughout her hair and secured them.

From her many heists, she had collected a green and gold dress and saved it for a special occasion. She put it on and loved how it clung to her body. With her dress she wore brown sandals and her gold necklace that Brynjolf gave her before she left for Solitude.

She headed over to the Temple of Mara. With every step she felt lighter and lighter until she realized she was at the doors to the temple. She took a deep breath and opened the doors.

Maramal smiled warmly, "Ah here's the blushing bride now!" All eyes focused on Eimile as she smiled shyly. Her eyes went to Brynjolf and he smiled back at her.

Eimile went up the aisle to be next to Brynjolf. The two turned to face each other and joined hands.

Eimile timidly whispered, "Hey,"

Brynjolf tried to contain his smile, but he failed. He giggled quietly as Maramal looked down upon them.

He asked, "May I begin the ceremony now?"

Brynjolf nodded and then continued to look into the eyes of his beloved.

Maramal began, "It was Mara that first gave birth to all of creation and pledged to watch over us as her children. It is from her love of us that we first learned to love one another."

He paused to look at the couple standing before him. His heart swelled as he saw the absolute love in their eyes.

He continued, "t is from this love that we learn that a life lived alone is no life at all. We gather here today, under Mara's loving gaze, to bear witness to the union of two souls in eternal companionship. May they journey forth together in this life and the next, in prosperity and poverty, and in joy and hardship."

Maramal looked to Brynjolf and asked, "Do you agree to be bound together, in love, now and forever?"

He answered, "I do, now and forever."

Maramal turned to Eimile and asked her the same question. She could barely speak, so she vigorously nodded her head.

Smiling, he said, "Under the authority of Mara, the Divine of Love, I declare this couple to be wed. I present to the two of you with these matching rings, blessed by Mara's divine grace. May they protect each of you in your new life together."

The newlyweds slipped the rings onto each other's fingers and kissed tenderly. They ran out of the temple and back to the cistern to celebrate.

When they appeared in the cistern, everyone shouted, "Get a room!" and pointed towards Eimile's room.

Brynjolf wiggled his eyebrows and picked his bride up. He carried her in his arms to his room and set her down on her bedroom floor.

Eimile lifted her hair and Brynjolf undid the buttons of her dress. Her dress fell to the floor in one fluid motion. Brynjolf put his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. She turned her head and her lips met his.

She broke away to remove her underclothes and shoes and to climb into bed. Brynjolf took his armor off and stood there in nothing but his underclothes. He climbed into bed with her and kissed her once more.

She continued the kiss locking her lips onto his like she would never let go. She pressed her tongue into his mouth as she straddled over him. Brynjolf's breath grew heavier with every kiss.

Eimile started grinding against his hips, going faster and faster as she kept kissing him. Her mind raced a million miles a minute. Sure, she and Brynjolf had shared a kiss before, but not like this.

She was pulled from her thoughts by Brynjolf grabbing her hips so she could feel him hard against her. In that moment, all she wanted was to get closer to him.

Brynjolf asked her with his eyes if she was ready to proceed. She nodded, and he sat up. He kissed her once more and removed his underclothes.

He took her hips and guided himself into her as she slowly sank down. She rocked her hips back and forth on him as he kissed her.

Eimile arched her back and Brynjolf kissed her between her breasts. He took her left one in his hand and massaged it.

Her breath hitched in her throat. Never before had she felt this way. Brynjolf switched breasts as she continued to move her hips.

She kissed him again as her muscles squeezed against him and she cried out in ecstasy. As she was coming down from her orgasm, he spilled his seed inside her.

He laid her on her back and pulled out. He kissed her neck and lay on his side facing her. Eimile turned her head and smiled.

Brynjolf covered the two of them with blankets and he wrapped his arm around her. Eimile kissed him and curled up against him.

"I don't know what was better: that, or the fact that I can do that with my lass anytime I want to now."

Eimile giggled and buried her face in his chest. He kissed the top of her head and smiled.

In that moment, Eimile forgot about her responsibilities. In this room, she did not have to worry about Ulfric Stormcloak and the war, or the business of the Thieves Guild, or being Dragonborn.


End file.
